Characteristics of Korean Children and Adolescents Who Die by Suicide Based on Teachers’ Reports

Mi-Sun Lee, Jin Ho Jhone, Joon Beom Kim, Yong-Sil Kweon and Hyun Ju Hong
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Mi-Sun Lee: Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Korea
Jin Ho Jhone: Department of Social Welfare, Soongsil University, Seoul 06978, Korea
Joon Beom Kim: Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Social Welfare Policy, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
Yong-Sil Kweon: Department of Psychiatry, Uijeongbu St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Korea
Hyun Ju Hong: Department of Psychiatry, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang 14068, Korea

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 11, 1-11

Abstract: We analyzed the clinical characteristics and suicide-related factors of students who died by suicide in Korea in 2016–2020, based on teachers’ reports. Using data on total suicide deaths (N = 654, mean age = 16.0, 52.6% boys) collected by the Ministry of Education of Korea, we investigated the demographic and clinical characteristics and suicide-related factors of suicide deaths in students aged 9–18 years. Considering gender, more boys (52.6%, N = 344) died by suicide than girls (47.4%, N = 310). About 425 (65.0%) of the suicides were among high school students. The most common suicide method was jumping from a high place (70.6%, N = 454), followed by hanging (25.7%, N = 165). Additionally, 9.4% (N = 48) of the students who died by suicide had a history of attempted suicide, 13.4% (N = 73) had attempted self-harm, and 12.8% (N = 48) were acquainted with someone who had died by suicide. Teachers observed 20.6% (N = 120) of the suicide warning signs at school. Girls tended to have higher rates of attempted suicide, emotional problems, and psychiatric disorders than boys. This study was conducted with the largest sample of Korean suicide students observed at school. Effective suicide-related mental health training for teachers could contribute to suicide prevention in students.

Keywords: suicide; death; students; characteristics; adolescent; school; teachers; Korea (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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